The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe
by ElegantButler
Summary: Grell must learn to put his life back together after a devastating attack.
1. Chapter 1

Black Butler:  
The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe  
By Axel Ingleson

Disclaimer: Black Butler and its characters do not belong to me. Nor am I making any money from this fanfic.

-Chapter 01-

The angels followed the Reaper stealthily as they'd done for the past several days. Their leader scowled at the Reaper. He had watched as the redhead's hips swayed in a rather feminine manner. Watched as his hair blew, dramatically, in the wind as he ran, almost playfully, after the souls he had been sent to reap.

"He's teasing me," he told his fellows who stood by nodded "He knows we're here and he's deliberately baiting me. Him, a lowly Reaper. How dare he! He'll pay dearly for that! Let's take him."

The other angels knew what their leader had planned was wrong, but they dared not defy him. So they followed him to where the red-haired Reaper stood watching his prey.

Grell was about to claim his latest soul when a hand wearing a steel gauntlet covered his mouth. Struggling to look up, he saw a quintet of what he realized were fallen angels surrounding him.

"Don't struggle, my dear," their leader said as the other four forced Grell down onto the cold pavement. "You'll only make it worse for yourself."

"Sebas-chan!" Grell cried out in anguish as his clothes were torn from his body. "Forgive me!"

He struggled to reach his scythe as the remaining few articles of his clothing were deftly plucked from his trembling body. Humiliation and rage fought for control of him, as his fingers came into contact with the chainsaw. One of the angels saw Grell's scythe and kicked it away. As it spun out of reach, the fire left Grell's eyes and he went limp in the other three angels' grip as he waited for their leader to defile him.  
He felt a strong arm being wrapped around his waist, holding him in place while other hands held his arms behind his back and someone grabbed his hair. He bared his razor sharp teeth, reminding them that there was one thing he didn't have to endure.

"I don't need your sweet mouth," the leader whispered as he pressed against Grell's opening. "I've got everything I need for my pleasure right here!"

Saying this, the angel thrust into Grell, eliciting a scream of physical and emotional agony.

"Stop!" Grell pleaded.

"But, my dear Grell," his rapist said, in a tone of mock-tenderness, "we've only just begun."

The other angels continued to hold Grell as their leader thrust brutally into him, ignoring his pleas and struggles until Grell stopped moving and his lips fell silent. Grell 's head was bent in shame and he silently prayed after each thrust that the next one would kill him.

"Are you enjoying yourself, my dear?" the angel asked, sadistically.

Grell did not reply. All of his normal flippant remarks had been raped out of him by the fallen angel who was now buried to the hilt inside him, crying out in triumph as the last shreds of Grell's pride were torn away.

When Grell was finally alone, he gathered up his ruined clothing and clutched it in front of him like a security blanket or teddy bear. Tears of shame ran from his eyes as he lie there, praying that nobody ever found him.

Sebastian and Ciel were riding in the area in their carriage when Sebastian held up a hand.

"Listen," he said.

"What is it?" Ciel asked. "I don't hear anything."

"I do," Sebastian insisted.

"Fine," Ciel sighed. "Investigate. But be back in an hour."

"Yes, my lord."

Sebastian leapt from the still-moving carriage and headed back to the alley they had passed when he'd heard the noise. Stepping into the alley, he saw Grell lying there, clutching his torn garments and sobbing brokenly.

"Grell?"

"Go away," Grell sobbed, "don't look at me."

Sebastian picked Grell up. The usual disgust he felt toward the Reaper wasn't there. Grell looked too pitiful in his current state, and Sebastian's mind was too busy wondering who would be powerful enough to overcome him so thoroughly.  
"Don't touch me," Grell whimpered. "Please, don't dirty yourself by touching me."

Sebastian ignored Grell's protests and picked him up anyway. He ignored the muttering of onlookers as he carried the wounded Reaper down the sidewalk until he came to the Undertaker's shop. For a moment he considered passing by and finding a doctor. But then he realized that Grim would have a better understanding of how to care for a Reaper who had been so cruelly defiled.

"No," Grell sobbed, "Don't bring me in there. I can't be seen by someone I know. Not like this."

"Hush," Sebastian said, quietly. "He's the closest person who can take proper care of you."

"I'm so ashamed," Grell wailed, burying his face in Sebastian's chest as the latter carried him into the shop. 


	2. Chapter 2

Black Butler:

The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe

By Axel Ingleson

Disclaimer: Black Butler and its characters do not belong to me. Nor am I making any money from this fanfic.

-Chapter 02-

With nowhere else to put him, Sebastian placed Grell in an open coffin that lie on the table.

"Close the lid and bury me," Grell wailed. "Rid the world of my dirtiness!"

"Nonsense," Grim shook his head. "You're not dirty, Grell. The one who hurt you is the dirty one. He's the one who should be ashamed."

Grell could not bring himself to make eye contact with anyone. He covered his face so that Grim would not have to look at it. He wished they would close the coffin so they wouldn't have to look at the rest of him either.

"Look at me, Grell," Grim said, pulling Grell's hands away from his face. As he looked into Grell's eyes, a tear fell from his own. Grell's normally vibrant eyes were dull and had no life in them. Grim removed Grell's glasses, since one of the lenses was cracked, and set them aside on the inside of the coffin lid.

"My apologies," Sebastian said, bowing, "but I must return to my master."

"Thank you for bringing him here," Grim said, gratefully. "I'll do what I can for him."

Sebastian departed and Grim returned his attention to Grell. He hated whoever had hurt the redhead. Despised them with every part of his being. He wanted to make them pay. But, more importantly, he wanted to bring the sparkle back into Grell's eyes.

"Grell," he said, as he began to tend to Grell's wounds, "please don't cry. It pains me to see you suffer so."

"I was saving myself for Sebas-chan," Grell sobbed. "Now I can't give myself to him. I was a fair maiden. A delicate flower. Now all my petals have been savagely ripped away and I am naked and ashamed."

Grim didn't bother pointing out that Grell had never been a maiden, fair or otherwise. Instead, he drew him into a comforting embrace, stroking his long red hair while Grell trembled and wept.

"I need to tend to your more private wounds now," Grim warned.

Realizing what the older Reaper meant, Grell began to shake even more violently. "No," he whispered. "Please, don't touch me there. I can't bear to be touched there now. Not so soon after."

"I'm sorry, Grell," Grim apologized, sadly. "But you may need stitches."

"Let me bleed to death if I do," Grell whispered.

"Reapers don't bleed to death," Grim reminded him. "Now, enough talk of death and dishonor. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I couldn't even bite them," Grell recalled. "One of them was wearing a steel gauntlet and he kept it over my mouth the whole time."

"How many of them were there?" Grim asked, his anger rising as he examined Grell.

"Five I think," Grell said, struggling to recall the number of his attackers. "But only one of them actually…" he broke off, not able to say the word.

Grim was grateful that Grell had at least not been raped by multiple attackers. He dreaded to think of the state that Grell would've been in if that had happened. He noticed that Grell had stopped trembling and looked down. He shook his head, sadly, as he realized that Grell had cried himself to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Black Butler:

The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe

By Axel Ingleson

Disclaimer: Black Butler and its characters do not belong to me. Nor am I making any money from this fanfic.

-Chapter 03-

When Grell woke it was the middle of the night. His wounds had been tended to and he was in a large comfortable bed. There was a set of fresh clothing on a nearby chair which Grim had clearly gone out of his way to select for him. His original outfit was nowhere in sight. Grim must've thrown it out. It was nothing but rags now after…

The horror of the previous day flooded back into his mind, and Grell buried his face in his pillow as a fresh wave of tears came forth.

"Why are you lying here feeling sorry for yourself?" a familiar voice asked.

"Sebas-chan?" Grell asked, looking up. He sat up in the bed, clutching the covers in front of himself as if to hold on to what was left of his shattered dignity.

"My master told me to check on you," Sebastian explained. "Don't worry, I didn't tell him what happened. I only said that you'd been hurt. He's concerned that whoever attacked you might have developed a taste for violence. I need you to tell me who it was."

"I need a husband," Grell said, quietly. "If someone were to marry me, it would make an honest woman out of me. But who would want a dirty…"

"Stop calling yourself dirty," Sebastian told Grell.

"Is he still doing that?" Grim asked as he walked in with a tray of food. "Grell, you're not unclean. You're not disgusting, or dirty or anything like that. Understand?" He reached down and wiped a tear from Grell's cheek. "I want you to stop thinking of yourself that way. You're a good Reaper. Remember that."

"No," Grell shook his head. "I'm not a Reaper anymore. I just can't do it. There's no joy left in my life. I'm too wounded to do my old job. Tell William I'm retiring."

"I'll tell him no such thing," Grim told him. "If you need some time off to heal, fine. But you are not retiring. You'll recover in time, Grell. It might take a little while, but you will recover. I'll help you. I promise."

"I wanted Sebas-chan," Grell sobbed. "I wanted to have his babies."

"But he doesn't love you, Grell," Grim said, honestly but gently. "Not like I do." He kissed Grell's forehead and held him close, stroking his long red hair as he rocked him gently.

Eventually, Grell's tears subsided. He simply let Grim hold him. The white-haired Reaper's touch was gentle and Grell felt safe in his arms.

"Grell," Grim said, softly, "perhaps you should marry me? It would give you the comfort of knowing that there would always be someone there for you. Especially after what's happened to you."

"I don't want someone to marry me out of pity," Grell whispered. "I want my husband to love me."

"I do love you, Grell," Grim said, repeating what he had said earlier. "I've always loved you. Your spirit, your energy. Your flamboyant…"

"I have none of that left," Grell said, sadly.

"Those things will return in time," Grim said, confidently. "They've only been buried. You can't ever drive a spirit like that away completely. Please. Let me help you unbury them."

"I need time to think about it," Grell said, after a long silence. "Please. Give me some time."

Grim nodded. "I understand."


	4. Chapter 4

Black Butler:

The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe

By Axel Ingleson

Disclaimer: Black Butler and its characters do not belong to me. Nor am I making any money from this fanfic.

-Chapter 04-

Sebastian was serving tea to Ciel when Grell came running up to him and grabbed his shoulder, causing the tray to go flying. Sebastian leapt, gracefully, into the air, and caught the errant tea tray so perfectly that not a drop was spilt.

"Sebas-chan!" Grell cried out, urgently. "I need your advice. Grim asked me to marry him. I don't know if I should. After all, I'm unclean. I was…"

"Ciel doesn't need to hear such things," Sebastian reminded Grell as he quickly covered his master's ears.

"Please, Sebas-chan!" Grell begged. "What should I do?"

"The one who defiled you," Sebastian asked, quietly. "Was he an angel?"

"Yes," Grell emoted. "Wh- why?"

"You might be pregnant," Sebastian suggested. "If I were you, I'd accept that proposal, just in case."

"I don't know if I'd want a baby that didn't come from you or Grim-chan," Grell admitted. "I came here for answers, and I'm leaving with more questions instead. Thanks for nothing, Sebas-CHAN!"

Sebastian watched Grell stomp off in a huff while Ciel finally managed to pull the demon butler's hands off of his ears.

"What was that all about?" Ciel demanded.

"It wasn't for your tender ears, my lord." Sebastian apologized.

"In other words, you're not going to tell me."

"No, my lord."

Ciel slapped Sebastian and walked off. He hated it when his butler kept secrets from him. And what had Grell meant about being unclean? The usually flamboyant Reaper had seemed rather subdued. He had been still wound up with anxiety, but his eyes seemed almost vacant.

Standing at the edge of a cliff as the water washed over the rocks below, Grell pointed his chainsaw toward himself, determined to rid himself of whatever the fallen angel had put inside of him. He trembled as his finger reached the button… and hesitated. He couldn't do it. Try as he might, he could not bring himself to end the life that Sebastian hinted might be now growing inside him.

"I'm sorry," he said, lowering his chainsaw. "It wasn't your fault you ended up with a fallen angel for a father instead of a respectable demon like Sebastian or a decent Reaper like Grim."

He looked down at the chainsaw and realized that it now disgusted him. With no further regard, he tossed it off the cliff and walked away.

Grim was attending to a body that had just been brought into his shop when Grell ran in and hugged him.

"We've got to get married," Grell pleaded. "And we can't wait. It's got to be today."

"Don't you want to think it over," Grim asked, wondering what had made Grell change his mind so quickly.

"There's no time for that," Grell exclaimed. "Sebas-chan says I might be pregnant. I have to get married today!"


	5. Chapter 5

Black Butler:

The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe

By Axel Ingleson

Disclaimer: Black Butler and its characters do not belong to me. Nor am I making any money from this fanfic.

-Chapter 05-

William Spears was re-shelving some books in the Reapers' Library when Grim walked in hand-in-hand with Grell.

"Please don't go poking your noses in the books," William said, "I've just got them organized and I know how you are when it comes to being organized, Grell Sutcliffe."

"How could you say such a thing?" Grell wailed. "This was to be a happy moment, and now…"

"Shh," Grim said, putting a finger to Grell's lips. "Let me explain things to him."

"Please, don't tell him about… that."

"Sir," Grim said to William, "I've come to ask for the hand of the fair Grell Sutcliff in marriage."

William was so startled by this that he fell off the ladder.

Picking himself up, he put on his spectacles and stared at the pair as they stood there, fingers interlaced, leaning on each other and looking hopefully at him. He studied them closely, then sniffed the air.

"There's a foreign scent here," he said. "It's one I've never encountered before. Its faint, like its coming from inside somewhere. But I can still smell it."

He moved closer, sniffing at Grim and Grell. He pulled back and looked carefully at Grell.

"It's coming from you, Grell," he proclaimed. "Tell me why a foreign scent is mingling with yours and I might go along with your request for a marriage."

"I can't," Grell said, turning away and bowing his head in shame. "Just please, grant our request. I need to marry Grim."

"I'm sorry," William apologized, firmly. "But without a good reason I cannot permit you two to marry."

"But I have to get married!" Grell pleaded. "Please. I'll be in disgrace unless I marry Grim!"

"You're acting like your pregnant," William accused. That brought him up short. He stared at Grell and sniffed him again. "You are pregnant, aren't you? Who's the father?"

Grell dropped to his knees and Grim crouched down beside him.

"Please," Grim asked on Grell's behalf. "Please don't ask that. All that matters is that Grell is with child and I want to make an honest Reaper out of him."

"He should marry the father of his baby," William pointed out.

"I'd rather die than marry the man who…" Grell did not finish.

William, however, guessed what Grell had been about to say.

"Someone dared to defile one of my Reapers?" he demanded. "Tell me who it was. I'll make sure they pay for their crime."

Grell turned away in shame.

"Now, you understand why its so important that Grell gets married as quickly as possible. And why he can't marry the baby's father."

"I would never ask Grell to live with a man who used him so cruelly," William said. "Grim, you are a very noble Reaper. You have permission to marry Grell Sutcliffe."

Grell embraced Grim and wept, this time with tears of relief rather than of shame.


	6. Chapter 6

Black Butler:

The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe

By Axel Ingleson

Disclaimer: Black Butler and its characters do not belong to me. Nor am I making any money from this fanfic.

-Chapter 06-

William called together all of the Reapers an hour later.

"I've called you all together for an important event," he told them. "After talking with those in question, I have decided to permit and perform the marriage of Reaper Grell Sutcliffe to Reaper Grim. This is the first ever marriage between two Reapers and I've asked you to come to bear witness to this union."

There was a moment of chatter while the other Reapers took this in. Then William raised a hand for silence and the chatter stopped.

"Grim," William called. "We're ready for the wedding. Please come with us to the church. Grell, wait ten minutes, then make your appearance. Gracefully, please. Remember, you're a bride."

The priest and congregation of the church were rather shocked by the sudden appearance of a pair of Reapers in the church. One looked like a proper gentleman, dressed in a simple shirt and vest, with slacks that were quite tidy. He wore a pair of spectacles and his short hair was neatly combed. The other was wearing a black tuxedo and top hat. His hair was in his face and he reminded them of an old sheep dog.

Today this congregation and its priest would be witnesses to an unheard of historic occasion: the marriage of two Reapers.

"Please excuse the interruption," the well-groomed Reaper apologized. "But we need to borrow your church for a wedding. As this is a wedding of my people, I will be performing the ceremony."

"My congratulations to the bride and groom," the priest told William. "Their names?"

"The groom is named Grim. He doesn't remember his last name. He's been around for so long. The bride's name is Grell Sutcliffe."

"Two men?" The priest shook his head. "I cannot permit such a farce to…"

Grim's scythe was suddenly pressed against the priest's chin.

"You know," the priest said, wisely changing his mind, "as long as they love each other I'd be happy to stand as a witness to the wedding."

"I thought you might," William said, motioning for Grim to put down the scythe.

The priest stepped aside as the doors flew open and the bride, Grell Sutcliffe, glided in gracefully.

Grell was wearing a long flowing red gown. The bodice had a pattern of lace and roses embroidered up the front in the middle surrounded by ruffled taffeta and was laced up the back. The sleeves were puffy at the shoulders and upper arms, but tight-fitting past the elbows. The skirt was long and had a slightly narrow bell-like shape to it (though it was long enough to in the back drag on the floor behind him) which neatly hid the fact that the bride was male. The dress was complemented by a train which reached about ten feel behind Grell. Completing the ensemble was a red veil which covered Grell's face as he passed the rows of onlookers and made his way, gracefully, to the altar.

When Grell reached the altar, Grim took his hands, which were encased in their usual red gloves

William didn't bother with the preamble. Instead, he addressed the couple who stood before the altar.

"Do you, Reaper Grim, take Reaper Grell Sutcliffe to be your eternal wife?" he asked. The proper term was husband, since Grell was male, but Grell had asked to be referred to as a wife and William had promised to do so.

"I do," Grim vowed.

"Do you, Reaper Grell Sutcliffe, take Reaper Grim as your eternal husband?" William asked.

"I do," Grell said in a trembling voice.

"I know pronounce you husband and wife," William said. "Grim, you may kiss your bride."

Grim lifted Grell's veil and placed a soft kiss on Grell's quivering lips.


	7. Chapter 7

Black Butler:

The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe

By Axel Ingleson

Disclaimer: Black Butler and its characters do not belong to me. Nor am I making any money from this fanfic.

-Chapter 07-

Elizabeth Middleford was entertaining a few guests at a small banquet at her estate when the three Reapers arrived, unexpected and uninvited.

Neither of these things concerned her too much. She was a friendly girl, and to her this was a chance to make new friends. Moreover, she thought she recognized the bride. Wait a minute, was that bride a man? She giggled to herself. He certainly looked good in a wedding gown. It was a look not too many men could pull off, but this one managed it perfectly.

"That dress looks really cute on you," she told Grell.

"Thank you," Grell smiled, happily. "I honestly never thought I'd get married to Grim. He's always been so kind to me, but my big dream was to marry Sebastian. Then I realized that if I did, I'd be marrying a man who didn't care for me."

"You'd be sad if you did that," Elizabeth said, sympathetic beyond her years. Grell supposed it came from knowing Ciel Phantomhive. The only person who ever seemed to get a smile out of him for more than a couple of minutes was his butler, Sebastian Michaelis.

"Quickly," Elizabeth told her cook, "we need a wedding cake in one hour. The cutest one you can bake."

"Yes, Lady Elizabeth," the cook bowed to her before departing to follow orders.

The party, now a wedding reception, continued. New music was played in honor of the bride and groom at Elizabeth's request. Some of the guests were a little annoyed at the bride being a man. But this was Elizabeth's party, and if she didn't mind, then who were they to judge?

Soon it was time to cut the cake. It was an enormous cake, eight feet high from the floor to the flowers and hearts on the top. As Grell and Grim approached it, the roof was suddenly blown off by a deafening explosion.

Elizabeth and her guests took cover and Grell was frozen with fear, his back against one of the plaster pillars that decorated the room.

Standing in the middle of the room, smiling rudely at Grell, was the angel who had raped him. Not only the angel, but his cohorts as well. And they were all smiling rudely at Grell.

The lead angel advanced as William and Grim unsheathed their scythes. He motioned to his fellow angels to deal with them. Soon the angels and the Reapers were battling all over the room, knocking over tables, smashing empty (and sometimes not empty) wine bottles over each others' heads, and generally destroying everything in sight.

"What a pretty bride," the lead angel leered at Grell.

The cake exploded. Frosting and cardboard (it had only been a model of a cake after all, real cakes that size don't get made in an hour) burst out in all directions. Standing in the exact spot where it had been, with knives tucked between the knuckles of one hand, and forks tucked between the knuckles of the other, was Sebastian Michaelis. He leapt over Grell and stood between the Reaper and the angel, directing a wave of cutlery in the angel's direction.

The angel threw his dagger at Sebastian, imbedding it in the demon's abdomen. Sebastian fell to the ground and did not move.

Grell saw this and his eyes flashed with anger. He would not let the angel get away with killing Sebastian! And he had a baby to protect. Drawing forth his chainsaw, he gave a cry of rage and leapt into the air. His scythe whirred and as he came to earth, he brought the chainsaw down on the angel, cutting him in half.

Instead of two gruesome body halves falling to the floor, there was an explosion of light as the angel evaporated.

Grell turned to grieve over the fallen demon. But Sebastian was not lying dead. Instead, he had taken off both his shirt and coat and was calmly repairing them.

Grell, despite being married to Grim, took one look at the shirtless Sebastian, suffered a nosebleed, and passed out.


	8. Chapter 8

Black Butler:

The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe

By Axel Ingleson

Disclaimer: Black Butler and its characters do not belong to me. Nor am I making any money from this fanfic.

Author's note: Grell is being a little anachronistic again. The song lyric he's singing won't exist until the 1990s. It's by Meat Loaf, incidentally.

-Chapter 08-

It had been three months since Grell's wedding. Grim had come home on a number of occasions to find the red-haired Reaper eating chocolates and crying. On other occasions, Grell had been happily whistling some unknown tune to himself while knitting a pair of red booties.

There was no denying it. Grell Sutcliffe was definitely pregnant.

Grim reported in to William one afternoon.

"Grell?" William inquired.

"Pregnant," Grim confirmed. "Will, his mood swings are getting worse."

"How much worse?"

"He's singing."

"That's good."

"Yeah, but it's the same words over and over 'Life is a lemon and I want my money back'."

"That's not so good." William decided. "How far along is he again?"

"About three and a half months," Grim replied. "And don't ask him about an abortion. I brought up the subject once and he nearly tore my head off."

"I think we're past that point now anyway," William told Grim. "I'm just worried about what might be growing inside of him. This isn't a normal pregnancy. No Reaper has ever given birth before. We have no idea what that angel put inside of him."

Things, as it was turning out, were far more complicated than the Reapers knew. The next morning, as he had been doing for the past few months, Sebastian climbed out of bed, slipped quietly into his bathroom to be sick, and then cleaned up before anyone discovered him. He didn't want to worry his master. Ciel had enough problems without Sebastian piling any more upon him.

"For every life born in the immortal world," he told himself as he looked in the mirror, "another must be born to balance it."

He would have to tell Ciel one day. But not yet. Not for another two months. He wouldn't risk Ciel's displeasure. He would tell him after there was no choice in the matter. It might be disobedient, but this was the one thing that he would not allow Ciel to boss him around about.

There was a chance that the baby could be dangerous. So could Grell's. One good. One evil. But the balance could be achieved by opposites as simple as male and female. Consoling himself with this, Sebastian got dressed and went to get Ciel ready for the day.


	9. Chapter 9

Black Butler:

The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe

By Axel Ingleson

Disclaimer: Black Butler and its characters do not belong to me. Nor am I making any money from this fanfic.

-Chapter 09-

Grell smiled with pride. He had just finished sewing a nice pair of red booties with white ribbons to tie them so they wouldn't fall off his baby's feet. He set down his knitting needles and looked out the window.

Grim was just coming home from a day of work. He was carrying a posy of flowers in one hand and a basket of chocolates in the other. Grell frowned. Candy meant a man loved you. Flowers meant he respected you. Candy and flowers together meant the man in question had screwed up pretty badly and was making sure you wouldn't kill him for it.

"What did you do this time?" Grell asked when Grim walked in, handed him the gifts he'd been carrying, and kissed him.

"William is furious," Grim told him.

"Why?"

"Well, you know how he feels about demons."

"What about it?" Grell was confused.

"Well, you know about the Immortal Balance…"

Grell nodded. He hated technical talk. It always gave him a headache. He hoped this wouldn't go on too long.

"Well, it seems that your condition has what he calls an unpleasant side effect."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Grell demanded.

Grim gave a sigh. "Sebastian Michaelis is pregnant."

A few miles away, Ciel Phantomhive had just learned the same news.

"You're WHAT?" he screamed at his butler. "How far along, Sebastian?"

"About four and half months," Sebastian admitted.

"You deliberately kept this from me," Ciel accused. "Why?"

"There's more at stake here than just my baby or our contract," Sebastian told Ciel. "This baby represents the balance of immortal life. I conceived in the same moment that Grell Sutcliffe did. That's how I knew he was pregnant long before anyone else did. If Grell gave birth without another immortal giving birth to balance things, chaos might break loose."

"So which is good, and which is evil?" Ciel asked, calmly.

"It doesn't have to be as complicated as good and evil," Sebastian explained. "It can be as simple as one baby being a boy and the other being a girl."

"I hope so," Ciel told him. "Under the circumstances, you're only to be my butler between the hours of nine in the morning to three in the afternoon. You have a baby to look after. That should be your top priority. But that does not excuse you from our contract."

"Yes, my lord." Sebastian bowed.

Ciel watched as his demon butler departed to attend to his duties. He could not believe what Sebastian had just told him. His butler was expecting, and not guests for tea either. He wasn't happy about Sebastian keeping the pregnancy a secret from him. Did his butler not trust him? Did he think Ciel would force him to put an end to it? Why would he? Out of jealousy? Or maybe because Sebastian was a demon? A baby and his duties to Ciel combined would be tricky, even for Sebastian. But Ciel had confidence in him. After all, he was one hell of a butler.


	10. Chapter 10

Black Butler:

The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe

By Axel Ingleson

Disclaimer: Black Butler and its characters do not belong to me. Nor am I making any money from this fanfic.

-Chapter 10-

Ciel frowned as his butler served tea. This was nothing new; the young master rarely smiled. He eyed Sebastian's abdomen, which now had a slight curve to it. Grell's was showing the same tiny bulge, the first visible indication of their pregnancies.

Pregnancy was normally a joyous occasion, one which the parents looked forward to. But Grell had conceived by rape. That, alone, was enough to mar the event. But there was another problem. Or rather two more. Neither any Reaper nor any demon had ever been pregnant before. This meant no one could be certain what they would give birth to. They prayed that their babies would be human in appearance since that was the shape they were in when they became pregnant. But neither Grell nor Sebastian could be sure this was the case.

Ciel was worried about his demon butler. The thought that Sebastian might be carrying a demonic baby rather than a human one bothered him. Demons, Sebastian had once told him, didn't have any specific shape. There were many kinds in many forms. Some had a humanoid form. Other demons took the shape of animals. And there were some which had shapes which could not be described by human words. Both Ciel and Sebastian were praying that Sebastian's child would not be any of these. Ciel doubted that anyone living on the mortal plane, even a demon butler, would be able to care for a baby demon. And Sebastian might not survive the pregnancy.

He and Grell might not survive anyway. They would need surgery to give birth, and the survival rates for surgical births in those days was not very high. Ciel hated the thought that he might lose his butler.

Grim was concerned about Grell. Grell had taken to bed a week earlier and hadn't gotten out since, except to visit the bathroom from time to time. Grell had become very pale, and there were bags under his eyes from lack of sleep, despite being curled up under so many blankets. Grim was certain that Grell's pregnancy was responsible for the redhead's current illness. There was nothing he could do about it, though, except sit back and wait to see what happened. He hoped that it would not result in Grell's death. If it did, he might be the one who had to collect Grell's soul. He did not think he could bear to perform such a task. He loved Grell too much. He decided not to think about it as he sat on the bed and stroked Grell's long hair.

Grell groaned miserably and shifted slightly to make himself more comfortable. He hated being sick. Hated the way the sweat made him so sticky, the way his hair was so limp and lifeless. He wanted nothing more than for the baby to be born so that he could get well again. But the baby wasn't due for another four months. He wondered if Sebastian was also sick.

Sebastian's pregnancy was also making him ill, but he hid it from Ciel. He knew his young master relied on him and he did not want to let him down. Ciel wasn't what most people would call friendly. But he wasn't cruel either.

"You look pale, Sebastian," Ciel observed. "Take the rest of the day off and get some sleep. That's an order."

"Yes, my lord." Sebastian bowed and left the room.

He climbed into bed and curled up under the blankets, one hand draped over his swollen abdomen. "You're already a lot of trouble, and you haven't even been born yet," he told his unborn child as he fell asleep.

When Ciel came to check on him an hour later, he was clutching the pillow and groaning. Ciel touched Sebastian's forehead. His forehead was cool, but still damp from perspiration. He sighed, knowing that his butler would be out of commission now until the baby was born. There was just no way around it. This pregnancy was causing a lot of strain on Sebastian. The demon had done all he could to uphold his side of the contract, but he just couldn't do that any more.

"Forgive me, my lord," Sebastian whispered, half awake.

"You're forgiven, Sebastian," Ciel reassured him. "You just get plenty of rest. The others can increase their workload until you get better."

"Thank you, my lord," Sebastian said, falling back asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Black Butler:

The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe

By Axel Ingleson

Disclaimer: Black Butler and its characters do not belong to me. Nor am I making any money from this fanfic.

-Chapter 11-

Grell was now nearing the end of his pregnancy. The same was true for Sebastian. Both the Reaper and the demon were quite large about the middle. More so than they should be for a normal pregnancy. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that their respective babies were not going to be completely normal.

Ciel hoped that Sebastian wouldn't give birth to a monster. Such a birth would kill Sebastian, and Ciel would have to end the creature's life. If Sebastian was going to die in childbirth, Ciel wanted the baby to have at least a somewhat human shape so he could be its guardian and raise it. He wanted something to remind him of Sebastian. He watched, wide-eyed, as something moved inside the demon's abdomen, causing it to bulge a little more for a moment before settling down.

'I am not getting sentimental about my butler,' he lied to himself as he left Sebastian's room. The truth was, he thought of Sebastian as his dearest friend, and wanted nothing more than to be there for the demon butler the same way Sebastian had always been there for him. He went to his room to study. He didn't want Sebastian to have to worry about him while he was going through a difficult pregnancy. Ciel wondered if Grell was having problems with his pregnancy as well. He wanted to find out. But he didn't want to leave his best friend alone in his condition.

In another part of town, Grell was having quite a number of problems. He was certain the baby had wings. He could feel them flexing along with all the punching and kicking the baby was doing inside of him. It was certainly a feisty child and it made Grell wonder if Sebastian's baby was equally active. He lay on his side as the baby stretched its wings, praying that it would not break through the wall of whatever womb or amniotic fluid had formed around it. "Easy now," he whispered to the being within him, "you'll have plenty of time to play after your born. Rest for now. You worry mommy when you move around so much. "

A pain struck the Reaper. A constricting, throbbing pain that caused him to clutch his abdomen. Panting, he called out to his husband.

"Grim!" he shouted. "Grim, fetch the surgeon! Hurry! I think it's time."

"Hang on, Grell," Grim said. "Just hang on. I'll be back as quickly as possible."

Ciel found himself unable to concentrate on his studies. Setting his books aside, he returned to his butler's room to find Sebastian clutching his abdomen and groaning loudly.

"Is it time, Sebastian?" Ciel asked.

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian panted.

"I'm going to fetch the family's personal surgeon. I'll be back soon."

Sebastian went back to focusing on his contractions. He prayed that Ciel would get back in time. The baby was being very impatient.


	12. Chapter 12

Black Butler:

The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe

By Axel Ingleson

Disclaimer: Black Butler and its characters do not belong to me. Nor am I making any money from this fanfic.

-Chapter 12-

When Ciel returned with the surgeon, the man stared at Sebastian. The doctor could not believe his eyes. This man couldn't be human. Not if he was pregnant, which seemed to be the case. The doctor reached into his kit and pulled out a bottle of anaesthetic and held it under Sebastian's nose, hoping the butler would pass out. Once Sebastian was unconscious, and Ciel had been banished from the room, the surgeon began to operate.

Grell's surgery was also underway. As soon as his doctor made the cut, the tip of a red-feathered wing stuck out of the incision. The doctor flinched for a moment, then reached in and retrieved the tiny baby boy from within the Reaper. Careful not to get stretched by the baby's tiny claws, which were white and pearly, he wrapped it in a blanket and handed it to Grim.

"It's a boy," he announced.

Grim smiled proudly, as if the baby were truly his, as he looked down at Grell's newborn son. The world's first baby born to a Reaper.

At the Phantomhive Estate, Sebastian's baby had also just been born. Like Grell's baby, it had wings. Sebastian's child's wings were black, however, tipped with silver that actually shone in the moonlight. As the doctor examined the baby, its eyes opened. They were pink and had slit pupils like a cat's. The baby's skin was pale like its father 's (or was that mother's).

The surgeon quickly stitched up Sebastian. Then he left the room, handing the baby to Ciel on the way out.

"Your friend has a beautiful baby girl," he said, hurriedly as he departed.

Ciel doubted the doctor actually thought the baby was beautiful. But that didn't matter. What mattered now was whether or not Sebastian would wake up. Ciel wanted his butler to see the child he had given birth to. She might have had demonic aspects to it, but there also had human aspects in her appearance. Her wings were folded around herself to keep her warm. The doctor had been in too much of a hurry to get out of there to bother putting a blanket on her. Ciel was grateful that the baby had her own way of keeping warm. He muttered a curse under his breath, directed at the doctor, and was glad Sebastian hadn't heard him say it. He would have been scolded to say the very least.

"Congratulations, Sebastian," he said as he waited for his butler to heal and wake up.

A few hours later, Sebastian was awake and holding his baby girl in his arms. There was a look of pride in his eyes as he looked into her pretty pink eyes and stroked her black and silver wings.

"So," asked Ciel, "what have you decided to name her?

"Ambrosia," Sebastian replied.

Ciel smiled down at the baby. Then noticed that the others who lived in the house were all standing in the doorway, making sounds of approval.

"Come on in," Sebastian invited. "It's okay, she won't bite. At least, I don't think she will."

Mey-Rin and the others came in and stood at Sebastian's bedside. Mey-Rin was cooing over the baby as Sebastian held the newborn half-demon. The others were staring at the baby with awestruck faces.

"She's beautiful, Sebastian," Mey-Rin said, kindly. "Congratulations."


	13. Chapter 13

Black Butler:

The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe

By Axel Ingleson

Disclaimer: Black Butler and its characters do not belong to me. Nor am I making any money from this fanfic.

-Chapter 13-

Ciel heard a loud explosion outside his window that evening. He went to the window to see what all the commotion was.

Outside there was a throng of angry people shouting threats and obscenities. Normally, he would rely on Sebastian to deal with them. But Sebastian was still resting and looking after his newborn baby. Today the tables were turned. It was Ciel who would be looking after Sebastian. He couldn't afford to lose his butler.

Rousing the other servants, he gathered them together in the parlor.

"Those people out there want to hurt Sebastian and the baby," he told them. "And we can't let that happen."

"I can handle it," Sebastian said from the hall where he was standing, hemming Ciel's new coat. "Ambrosia Michaelis is my daughter. I won't let anyone harm her."

"We'll watch the baby," Mey-Rin said, leading the other servants to the room where the baby was sleeping.

Sebastian gave a quick nod, then sped outside to confront the angry mob.

"Kill the demon!" Someone shouted.

"Really!" Sebastian scolded them as he stood there, still hemming Ciel's new coats as if the crowd were no big deal. "Is that any way to treat someone? 'Kill the demon' indeed."

One member of the crowd threw a rock at Sebastian. It hit him on the side of the head, but he paid it no attention as he continued to hem the coat and complain just loudly enough for them to hear.

"I make them curry buns… I save their backsides from rampaging angels… I help defeat Jack the Ripper… Do I get any gratitude?"

More rocks were thrown. Then someone threw a knife. Sebastian caught it, deftly, in his fingertips. With a smile he used it to cut the thread, having just finished hemming Ciel's coat.

"Go home and get some sleep," he told the crowd.

"Not until the demon child is brought before us to be judged!"

Ciel stepped out of the house and stood beside Sebastian. "Put that coat on me."

Sebastian knelt before Ciel. "Yes, my lord." he said, putting the coat on Ciel. He stood up and looked directly at the crowd.

"There is a curse upon this house!" one of the crowd cried out. "Evil is here."

"Yes," Sebastian agreed. "And I wish it would shut up. My baby is far less dangerous than those who seek to destroy her. And they are far less dangerous than I can be. Now that you know that, I want you to know this. I will do whatever I must to protect my daughter."

"We want you out of our town, demon."

"This isn't your town," Ciel pointed out. "This is my estate. The only word that is law here is mine. And I order you to leave my butler and his child alone and depart."

Sebastian smiled proudly at Ciel.

"You've won this time, demon," the man who'd thrown the knife told Sebastian. "But don't think that means this is over."

"You're all delightfully boring people," Sebastian yawned disdainfully, "I hope I have the distinct pleasure of the absence of your company in the future."

Without any further comment, Sebastian turned and walked back inside.

For a moment, Ciel paused at the door. He gave one quick order to the people amassed on his front lawn:

"Go home."

Then he followed Sebastian inside.


	14. Chapter 14

Black Butler:

The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe

By Axel Ingleson

Disclaimer: Black Butler and its characters do not belong to me. Nor am I making any money from this fanfic.

-Chapter 14-

A similar set of circumstances was happening at Grell and Grim's house. The similarity, however, ended at the there were a few angry people around who had a big problem when little babies looked a little more than human.

The mother of this child wasn't as patient as Sebastian. One of the crowd had thrown a rock through a window, just barely missing the baby. Seconds later, Grell was outside, chainsaw roaring, angrily chasing those who had tried to hurt his son.

"Never come near my family again!" the Reaper cried out, furiously. "The next person who comes within ten feet of my child, or does anything to hurt him in any way, will regret having ever set eyes on him. Have I made myself clear?"

Of course, those people he was addressing were too busy running away and screaming to give a proper response.

The chainsaw roared more loudly.

"Yes! Yes!" one of the crowd called back in a panicked voice.

A sound reached Grell and he lowered the chainsaw. His baby was crying. He turned and sped back to the room where his child was wailing up a storm.

"It's okay, Kaolin," Grell said as he picked up the little boy and carried him into the kitchen. "Mommy will get you something to eat."

Grim watched his husband as he went from avenging Reaper to doting mother in less than ten seconds. It was amazing how easily a crying baby could manipulate someone like Grell. Grim wondered if all mothers were this way. He had never paid them much attention. His work was, after all, concerned with the other end of life. There were still many women who died in childbirth, but he wasn't the Reaper who visited them. Now that he had a baby in his life, he wondered what he had been missing. He was determined not to miss any more of it. He might not have been a part of the baby's conception, but it was Grell's baby, and Grim was determined to be a part of its life.

Ten minutes later, Grell decided that diaper changing was a perfect time for Grim to start.


	15. Chapter 15

Black Butler:

The Taking of Grell Sutcliffe

By Axel Ingleson

Disclaimer: Black Butler and its characters do not belong to me. Nor am I making any money from this fanfic.

-Chapter 15-

As the months passed, the crowds eventually got the hint and stopped harassing Sebastian, though Grell was not as fortunate. His violent reactions only served to goad them on to further attempts.

Grell was beginning to realize this, but it was hard for him not to react when his little boy was in danger.

There were other dangers, too. The baby was teething, now. A few of his front teeth had already come in. They were razor sharp, the same as Grell's, and the baby had cut his lip and destroyed two pacifiers, much to Grell's distress, before Grim had finally contacted Sebastian to ask if he was having the same problems.

"Yes," Sebastian admitted. "My baby has a number of demonic characteristics, including very sharp teeth."

"So, what's the solution?" Grim asked.

Sebastian was about to answer when Ambrosia started to cry in the next room. He went and fetched her. As he sat back down, holding the baby, Grim noticed what looked like an oversized pocket watch in the baby's hands. Closer inspection proved that it was, in fact, a toy. It was as big around as Sebastian's fist, but nearly flat. Grim couldn't tell what kind of material it was made of, but he saw that Ambrosia loved chewing on it.

"She was always biting her lip when she first started teething. So Ciel had his company make this toy watch for her. It's a little big so she won't swallow it."

"Do you think Ciel will have them make one for Kaolin as well?" Grim asked.

"I think I can persuade him to do that," Sebastian agreed.

Grell was teaching little Kaolin how to walk when Grim returned.

"Where were you?" Grell asked, lifting his son to a standing position and taking a few steps back.

"I went to see Sebastian," Grim explained. "I would've brought you, but you were sleeping. I didn't want to wake you." He smiled as he watched Grell's son toddle forward, taking his first steps.

"Kaolin did that. He cut his lip again." Grell beamed with pride at his son. "I just wish there were some way of stopping him from hurting himself."

"Ciel's toy company made a toy for Sebastian's daughter to bite when her teeth ache," Grim explained. "Sebastian's having them work on making one for Kaolin." He watched Grell teaching the baby to walk. Then Kaolin decided he'd done enough learning for the day and sat down.

Grell picked up his son and tickled him playfully. The little Reaper laughed happily and this caused Grell and Grim to smile.

"Do you think we should have another child some day?" Grim asked, thoughtfully. "One that's full Reaper, and not just a hybrid."

"Not just yet," Grell said. "Let's give this one a little time to grow first. Maybe when she's about five or so. But for now."

"There's something else," Grim realized.

"I'm sorry we've never actually had a real wedding night," Grell apologized. "It's just… I still remember those fallen angels, and…"

"And it still hurts." Grim finished.

Grell nodded. "Sometimes I wish little Kaolin didn't have those wings. Reapers don't have wings, Grim. That's something she got from her worthless father. But they're such a beautiful shade of red, so that makes it bearable."


End file.
